Spring forming device



Oct. 25, 1938. c. R. BERGEVIN SPRING FORMING DEVICE Filed Oct. 26, 19572 Sheets-Sheet 1 J 2 MAG Oct. 25, 1938. c R. BERGEVIN 2,134,469

F1 a ir I :1

Patented Oct. 25,1938

, j UNITED STATES PATEN -OFFI SPRING FORMING 7 Charles R. Bergvin,

Y ,Torrington,

. Application October Torrington, Conn, assignor to The TorringtonManufacturing' Company,

Conn, a corporation of Connecticut 26, 1937, Serial No. 171,120

10 Claims. (01.140402) 7 H bolts 4 passing through slots '5 in the arms2,

The present invention relates to a device for forming or bending"wound-springs or the typecommonly'known astorsionspringsi. e., springshaving 'coiled bodies of different lengths and diameters, with theirprojecting' ends formed or bent to suit various purposes forywhich thesprings may be used. The object of the present invention is to providean improved device of the above indicated character; which, by its op-'eration, is adapted to form bends of diiferent degrees at any desiredangle to the axis of the coiled body of a ent invention is particularlycharacterized by an angularly adjustable head carrying a number offorming tools, independently controllable from a centraldrivingelementwithin the head,

so as to perform bending operations on the end of a spring, in any'desiredseduence. -These forming tools operate at an angle to the axisof the wire portion being formed, thereby making it possible to formcomplicated bends without interference between the working portions ofthe tools. .The above and other advantageous features of the inventionwill hereinafter more fully appear from the followingdescriptionjconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhichza Fig. 1 is; a-view in front elevation, of 'a'forming deviceembodying the invention-.-

Fig. 2 is a view partially i-n'horizontal section, and partially inplan, of "the device ofFig. 1. Fig. '3 is a vertical sectionalview alongthe line 3-3 ofFig. 2, looking inthedirectio'n of:

the arrows. Y 1

Figs; 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views, illustrating the functioning ofone pair of forming tools. .Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View of a'furtherstep in the forming operation, as viewed from the front of the device. a

Figs. '7 and 8 are diagrammatic views, illustrating the functioning ofthe tools shownin Fig. 6, as viewed in plan. Fig.9 is a'view, in

perspective, of a completed formed by the device of Fig. 10 is afragmentary View of a tool slide actuator.-

; Like reference characters refer. to like parts in the differentfigures.

. Referring firstto: Figs. rand 2', the forming device consists of abase I, providing upwardly extending arms 2, between which a bracketyiisI-mounted. The bracket 3 is securedtoz the arms 2 by bolts!threadedinto the bracket,the

adjusting the vertical spring' The device of the prescarrying the headH] the tube 28,

whereby the bracket 3 may be clamped in. different positions. Studs Ethreaded through lugs 1 provided by the bracket 3, bear on the uppersurfaces of the arms 2 and provide means for closely position of thebracket 3 when the bolts 4 are loosened.

The bracket '3 provides a cylindrical'opening 8, in which is received adrum 9 carrying a forming. toolhead i0, whichprojebts beyond the opening8, and is securedto the front end of the drum 9 by screws H, see Fig. l.V The drum 9 and other associated parts, hereinafter described, isangularly adjustable Within the bracket 3 about the axis of theopening8. In order to clamp the drum Qand" the head-:10 in any desiredangular position, the bracket 3 provides a' set screw l2, accessiblefrom the top. of the bracket, the end of which is received in 'a groovel3 extending around the periphery of the drum9.

The drum 9 provides a central opening M, in which: is received asleeveI5, extending rearwardlythrough the bracket 3, and carrying bearings IS,on which is rotatably mounted a sleeve I! carrying a number of cams l8,I9, and 2!, as best shown in Fig.2. A pinion 22 is also mounted on thesleeve [1, and is in mesh with a'gear 23 mounted on a stud 24 carried byan arm 25 securedto the base lat 26, so that the stud 24'is'fixed withrespect to the rotatable cam sleeve IT. The gear 23 is adapted tobedriven from any suitable source of power, not shown, so as to rotate allof. the cams l8, I9, 29

' and 2| in. unison.

The central drum sleeve l5 provides an opening l5a, in which is receiveda wire guide 21 and a cutting tube 28, which extends into the tool headIt) and terminates in a conical nose 28a. Wire 29 extends through theguide 2! and and is adapted to be wound into a spring S in any suitablemanner, as by means of a rotatably driven winding arbor 30, see Fig. 4.When'a spring S has been wound, asshowr; in Fig. 2,a straight portion Sextends between the coiled body of the spring and the cutting nose 28a,and it is the function of the device of the present invention to severthe spring S from, the wire 21, and :to suitably form its end portion S.

For this purpose, the head l0 carries group of forming tools 3|, 32,

tool is adjustably mounted in a'slide 35, movable on the head ID bymechanism, shown in Fig. 2, with relation to the particular cam |8 whichoperates the slide 35 carrying the tool 34. It is obvious, however, thateach tool slide 35 is driven in the same manner by its associated cam,so that it is unnecessary to describe in detail the mechanism fordriving each individual tool slide.

Each tool slide 35 is movable between radial ways 36 provided by thehead I0, and a spring 31 serves to yieldingly maintain a lug 38,provided by the slide, in engagement with a ball 39'" carried at theoffset end of a crank arm '40, forming part of a shaft 4|, as shown inFig. .10. The shaft 4| is rotatably mounted in an opening 42, extendingthrough the drum 9, and the opposite, end of the shaft 4| carries an arm43 carrying a roller 44 in engagement with the cam l8. It is. obviousfrom a consideration of Fig. 3, that rotation of the cam sleeve II willcause the projection |8a of the cam l8 to turn-the shaft 4|, and therebycause the ball 39 at the end of the crank arm to move the tool slide 35in the direction of the end portion S of the spring S. In consideringsuch movement of the tool slide 35, it should be noted that theprojecting face of the head I0 is conical in form, sothat the ways 36are parallel to the surface of the cutting nose 28c, and consequentlyeach tool travels in a line, makingan acute angle to the axis of thewire 29. This angularity of the tools is an important factor in thefacility with which the end of a spring may be bent into different formsby a sequence of operation of the tools, as will now be described withreference to Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive.

Referring first to Fig. 4, the tools 3| and 32 are shown in thepositions which they occupy with reference to the tube 28 at the startof the sequence of tool operations, which results in forming or bendingthe straight portion S of the previously wound spring S. Rotation of thecam sleeve starting from the position of Fig. 3, first causes the camprojection lBa to move the tool 3| to the dotted line position, where itremains for an appreciable period, during which the other toolsfunction. Cam projection 2|a then causes the tool 32 to move in thedirection of the arrow, thereby severing the wire 29 at the nose 28a,the then stationary tool 3| serving to support the wire beyond the nose,as the cutting takes place. Continued rotation of the cam sleeve thencauses the tool 32 to move into the position of Fig. 5, with the tool 3|remaining in its position, in engagement with the wire, therebyimparting a bend to the free end of the coil portion S. While theportion S is shown as having had a substantially bend imparted theretoby operation of the tools 3| and 32, obviously, the degree of bend canbe varied to be more or less than 90 by altering the inclination of thetool faces. In determining the angle of bend,'-the fact that the toolslides 35 move at an angle to the axis of the wire, makes it possible tobend the wire at either an acute or an obtuse anglefas desired, a resultimpossible of accomplishment were the tools to be moved only at rightangles to the wire axisj Following the formation of the bend shown inFig. 5, the cutting and forming tool 32 is retracted, as shown in Fig.6, while the tool 3| remains in the position shown. The cam projection|8a then causes the tool 34 to engage the spring portion S at anappreciable distance from the bend,

which movement is accompanied by movement of the tool 33 in thedirection of the arrow, so that its end will engage the spring portion Sin the tool 34, to impart a second bend in a plane at right angles tothe first bend. The completed spring then appears as shown in Fig. 9.

While, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8, the bends formed in the spring portionS lie in substantially vertical and horizontal planes with respect tothe horizontally extending portion S, the planes of these bends can bereadily changed without changing the several tools. As previouslypointed out, the cylindrical drum 9 is adjustable angularly within theopening 8 of the bracket 3, upon loosening the clamping screw l2, and soby rotating the entire tool assembly with the drum 9, the planes of thebends can be altered as desired. Furthermore, each tool 3| to 34,inclusive, is adjustable within its slide 35, by means of a screw 45threaded into the slide 35 and received in a slot 46 provided in thetool. Upon loosening the screw, small adjustments of a tool can be madeto suit the diameter of the wire 29, the final position of the toolbeing determined by a backing stud 4'| threaded into a portion of theslide 35. When it is desired to line up the wire guide 21 and cuttingtube 28 with the arbor 30 of a spring winding machine, verticaladjustment. of the wire axis can be obtained without disturbing thesetting of the tools by means of the adjusting studs 6, with the bracket3 being finally clamped in adjusting position by the bolts 4.

I claim,

1. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a wire, ahead surrounding said wire supporting means, a plurality of toolsmounted on said head for movement at different angles with respect tosaid wire, and means symmetrically arranged about the wire axis andcarried by said head for separately actuating said tools and performinga sequence of bending operations on said wire.

2. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a wire,'ahead surrounding said wire supporting means, a plurality of toolsmounted on said headfor movement at different angles with respect tosaid Wire, and means symmetrically arranged about the wire axis andcarried by said head for separately actuating said tools and causingthem to first cut and then perform a succession of bending operations onsaid Wire.

3. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a wire, ahead surrounding said wire supporting means, a plurality of toolsmounted on said head for movement at different angles with respect tosaid wire, and means symmetrically arranged about the wire axis andcarried by said head for separately actuating said tools and performinga sequence of bending operations on said wire, said head, tools andactuating means being adjustable about the axis of said wire to vary inunison the angular relation of all of said tools with respect to saidwire.

4. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a length ofwire, a head providing guideways radiating from the axis of said wire,tools mounted in said guideways, and means carried by said head forsuccessively imparting movetend between said cams ment to. said toolsfor engaging and bending said wire, said head being adjustable about theaxis of said wire to simultaneously shift all of said guideways andtools about the wire axis.

5. In a device of the class described, a wire guide, a head surroundingsaid guide providing guideways radiating from the axis of a wire in saidguide, tools movable in said guideways, a member rotatable on saidheadabout the wire axis and means carried by said head and symmetricallyarranged above the wire axis to be operated from said member foractuating said tools in sequence to perform successive bendingoperations on said wire.

6. In a device of the class described, awire guide, a head surroundingsaid guide providing guideways radiating from the axis of a wire in saidguide, tools movable in saidguideways, a member rotatable on said headabout the wire axis, a series of cams mounted on said member andconnections carried by said head and emmetrically arranged about thewire axis to exand said tools for causing said tools to perform a seriesof bending operations on said wire.

7. In a device of the class described, a wire guide, a head surroundingsaid guide providing guideways radiating 'from the axis of a wire insaid guide, tools movable in said guideways, a member rotatable on saidhead about the wire axis and means operated from said member forjustable as a unit about supporting a wire,

actuating said tools in sequence to perform successive bendingoperations on said wire, said head, tools and tool actuating mechanismbeing adthe wire axis.

8. In a device of the class described, a wire guide, a head surroundingsaid guide providing guideways radiating from the axis of a wire in saidguide, tools movable in said guideways, a member rotatable on said headabout the wire axis, a series of cams mounted on said member andconnections between said cams and said tools for causing said tools toperform a series of bending operations on said wire, said head, tools,cams and driving connections being adjustable as a unit about the wireaxis.

9. In a device of the class described, means for supporting a wire, ahead providing guideways radiating from said wire at an acute angle tothe axis of said wire, tools in said guideways and means for causingsaid tools to perform a succession of operations on said wire.

10. In a device of the class described, means for a head providingguideways radiating from said wire at an acute angle to the axis of saidwire, tools in said guideways and means carried by said head andsymmetrically arranged about the wire axis for causing said tools toperform a succession of bending operations on said wire, with said toolsengaging said wire at an acute angle to its axis.

CHARLES R. BERGEVIN.

I CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. I Patent No. 2,151+,h69. October 25, 1958.

I CHARLES R. v BERGEVIN It is hereby certified that error appears in theprinted specification of the above numbered patent requiring correctionas follows; Page 5 first eolilinn, line 11, claim 5, for the word"above" read about; and that the said Letters Patent should be read withthis correction therein that the same may conform to the record of thecase in the Patent Office. I

" Signed and sealed this 29th day of November, A. D. 19.58

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) I Acting Commissioner, of Patents.

